Earth anchor



April 22, 1930- A. B. CHANCE 1,755,811

EARTH ANCHOR Filed Marh 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 am my W (Wt/L44 April2, 1930. A. B. CHANCE 1,755,811

EARTH ANCHOR Filed March 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 22,1930 UNITED STATES ALBERT B. CHANCE, or crmraepm, mssounr EARTH ANCHORApplication filed March 14, 1928. Seriallo. 261,498

The present invention relates to earth ancho'rs, and is moreparticularlyconcerned with all types of earth anchors having guy rods securedthereto by nuts or similar fastening means. I The present invention isequally adaptable to anchors of thecone type, as well as other types,such as the expanding anchor shown in Taylor & Sutclifie Patent No.1,546,327, dated July 14, 1925.- In the installation of such anchors, itis customary to insert the threaded end of the guy rod in the apertureprovided in, the anchor on the guy rod belowthe anchor After a hole hasbeendug, the guy rod serves as a handle for positioning the anchor inthe hole, but considerable difliculty is experienced in the insertion ofthe anchor, because the anchor is relatively loose upon the rod, and ittends to catch in the dirt. abovethe base of the hole, the guy rodsliding down through the anchor.

It is also highly desirable that the anchors be soconstructed that whenthey are no longer required, the guy rod may be easily removed orotherwise displaced from its normal position, in which it projects abovethe earth, forming a dangerous. and often invisible obstruction" in theweeds along the right of way. As the nut is generally rusted fastvto-the rod-even after a short period of' use and exposure to the humidconditions in the earth, it is difiicult, if not practically impossible,to ,remove the guy rod en tirely without digging up the'anchon' Theatter course would obviously involve too .much labor, and I prefer todrive-the guy rods through the anchors into the earth :with a. sledgehammer 'or other driving tool, until the top of the guy rod is sunk intothe earth.

This operation is impossible with the guy rods and anchors of the priorart, andone of the objects of the present invention'is the provisionofmeans for securing a guy rod to an anchor, which also permits thedriving in of the guy rod at a later time when it is desired to bury theguy rod in the earth.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of earth anchorshaving thrust means for resisting separation of the guy rod and and toplace a nut an anchor, and frangible means for securely positioning theanchor on the rod during installation, but which may be-broken by asledge hammer blow upon the upper end of the guy rod, so that the rodmay be buried in the 'eartlr.v when desired.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for securelypositioning an anchor upon a guy rod for insertion in an anchor hole,said means having one or more 00' points of weakness whereby saidsecuring means may be broken by impact upon the end of the guy rod.

Other objects and advantages of my inven-- tion will appearmore fullyfrom the following description and from the accompanying drawings,inwhich similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughoutthe several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, of which there are two sheets IFigure 1 is an elevational view of the guy rod and anchor with theanchor shown in medial cross section;

Figure 2 is a similar-view in partialcross section;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the anchor;

Fi re 4 is a view 'similartoFi'gure 1, showmgthe anchor afterthe'retaining lugs have been broken for the purpose of releasing the guyrod to bury it in the earth;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the expanding type of apchor;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view-of the 86 same; and v Figure 7 is abottom plan viewof the expanding anchor shown in expanded position.Referring to Figures-'1 to 4, 10 indicates in its entirety a cone anchorof conventional 90 t e, comprising a cast metal body havinga -sustantially frusto-conical exterior surface 11 and an axial bore 12. Thecone anchor may be formed with a hollow interior. 13for the-purpose ofsaving material and reducing I the cost of theancli'or,

but the wall'of the anchor may be substantially thickened at the top14:,adjacent the guy rod 15. Below the bore 12 the anchor is preferablyprovided with a non-circular depression 16 adapted 40 V are so formedand located as to effect the -may be so formed that they to receive anut 17 carried by the threaded end 18 of the anchor, and for conveniencein casting, the depression 16 may be tapered toward the outside asshown. w

The guy rod 15 may be provided with any type of eye 19 for securing aguy, and the rod is secured to the anchor by inserting the same throughthe bore 12 and threading the nut 17 upon the end 18. The nut. 17adapted to resist separation. of the rod 15 and the anchor 10 whentension is put upon the guy and gu rod, but it does not prevent theanchor 10 rom sliding upward on'thefguy rod when the anchor is beinginserted the anchor hole, using the red as a handle.

In the latter operation, difliculty is often experienced due to the factthat the anchor 10 will catch in the side of the anchor hole, and theguy rod 15 will then slide freely through the bore 12 to the bottom ofthe anchor hole, and considerable time may be wasted in positioning suchanchors in the hole dug. I prefer to provide my anchor with means forpositioning 'the anchor definitely upon the guy rod 15, and in the caseof the cone anchor this means may consist of one or more integral castmetal lugs 20, extending from the inner wall of the cone anchor into thehollow chamber 13 adjacent the rod 15 and below the nut 17.

a The lugs 20 are spaced sufficiently from the inside top of wall 21 ofthe chamber 13, so that the nut 17 may be inserted between said wall andthe top of the lugs 20, and the rod 15 may then be inserted through thebore 12 and threaded into the .nut 17, while the nut 17 is held in thisposition, by hand or by the depression 16 in the anchor. I desire it tobe understood that any number of the lugs 20 may be employed, providingthey purposes hereinafter described.

After the anchor and guy rod have been in the earth for even a shortperiod of time, the nut 17 is invariably so corroded that it isdifiicult to remove it from the rod 15. If it is desired to abandon theanchor and guy rod 15, and this is the most economical course when theanchor is no longer required, I

prefer to so form my anchor that the guy rod may be driven down into theearth by using a sledge hammer on the upper end of the guy rod. For thispurpose the lugs 20 can be broken by a blow with the sledge hammer onthe top of the uy rod.

I desired, a definite line of weakness or a frangible point in the lugs20 may be provided by forming a notch 22 in each of the legs adjacentthe body ,of the anchor .10, but this is not necessary if the lugs arethemselves made sufliciently frangible to bebroken by ablow upon the guyrod 15, transmitted by the nut 17 to the lugs,

In Figure 4 I have illustrated the position of the earth so that it nolonger forms a dangerous obstacle along the ri ht of way.

have here,

Referring to Figures 5 to 7, illustrated a twoflfay expansion anchor ofthe type shown m me atent to which reference is made aboveg s this typeof anchor is described in-deta'iji in that patent, reference will merelybeniaile" to the various parts, but it will be obser ved hat the presentinvention is adaptable to'a'lltypes of anchors.

The expanding anchor may consist-of a supporting plate 23 forming thebottom-Of the anchor and substantially circular. in form,

to utilize the full cross sectional area of post hole. The bottom plate23 is corrugated as at 24 to increase its strength, and it is providedwith a air of apertures 25 adapted to receive the ent-over lugs 26,carried by a guide plate 27 having a pair of downward- I turned flanges28 for spacing said guide plate from the supporting plate 23.

Slidably mounted between the guide plate 27 and the supporting plate 23are a pair of sliding plates 28 and 29 having smaller corrugations 30adapted to nest with each other and with the corrugations 24 upon thesupporting plate, as well as the corrugations 31 in the guide plate. Thebottom plate 23 and the guide plate 27 are provided with registeringcentral apertures 32 adapted to receive a guy rod, and the slide plates28 and 29 are provided with elongated slots 33 and 34, respectively,also adapted to embrace the guy rod and register with the apertures 32in any position of the sliding plates. The sliding plates 28 and 29 arealso formed with an offset 35 and 36 extending parallel to the slots 33and 34, in such manner that the separate legs of the plates 28 and 29 oneither side of the slots 33 and 34 may be placed in converse position,one above the other oneach side of the anchor, that is, the plate 28crosses the plate 29 at the slots 33 and 34, and one leg of the plate 28is above the plate 29 while the other leg of the plate 28 may be belowplate 29.

The plates 28 and 29 areeach pivotally connected by a U-shaped member 37to a ribbed toggle link 38, the toggle links being pivotally connectedat their opposite ends to a guide link 39 comprising a metal platehaving a central aperture 40 formed with a flange 41 adapted to guidethe plate 39 upon a guy rod. The guy rod may be inserted through theapertures 40 and 32 and the a nut below the type of anchor for securelypositioning the anchor on the rod and for permitting the release of therod when it is to be abandoned,

- expanded by tampin I provide the bottom plate 23 with a air offrangible members 42 secured on sai plate, adjacenttheaperture32.Thefrangiblemembers 42 may each consist of a strip of sheet metal havingan attaching flange 43, spot welded or otherwise secured to the bottomplate 23, as at 44, and also having an offset 45 and another flange 46substantially parallel to the attaching flange 43. The oflset 45 is ofsufficient length to .permit insertion of the nut between the bottomplate 23 and the flange 46, and the flange 46 may be provided with asemi-circular notch 47adapted to register with the aperture 32 for theguy rod. The

frangible members 42 are, of course, separated from each other at thepoint 48.

The operation; of the present modification is substantially the same aspreviousl described. The anchor and guy rod may e installed in the usualmanner, and the anchor (Y upon the top late 39, which transmits theforce to the toggle links 38 and pushes out the sliding plates 28 and 29into the surrounding earth. When it is desired to abandon an anchor andanchor rod, the rod may be given a sharp blowupon its upper end with asledge hammer, and the frangible members 42 will break or bend downward,permitting the nut to pass them and permittlng the guy rod to slidethrough the anchor.

It will thus be observed that I have invented an earth anchor havingmeans for securely positioning the anchor upon a guy rod during theinstallation of the anchor. but my invention also permits the release ofthe guy rod from the anchor when. it is desired to drive the guy rodinto the earth and to abandon the rod and anchor.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, manymodifica tions may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but-desire to avail myself of all changes withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an earth anchor, the combination of a guyrod with an anchorcarried by one end of said rod, means on said rod for preventingmovement of said anchor ofi said end, and frangible means carried bysaid anchor for positioning said anchor on said rod.

2. In an earth anchor, the combination of a tension member, with ananchor, means on said member engaging said anchor and means on saidanchor engaging above and below said first mentioned means, said lattermeans including a frangible part. i

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a guy rod withan anchor having an aperture for said rod, a nut car ried by said rodbelow said anchor and a pair of lugs carried b said anchor below saidnut, said lugs being ormed with a frangible portion for releasing saidrod to bury the same in the earth.

4. In an earth anchor, the combination of a cast metal member ofsubstantially frustoconical shape and having an axialbore, with a guyrod adapted to be received in said bore, said frusto-conical memberhaving a non-c1!- cular socket aligned with said bore and adapted toreceive a nut carried by said guy rod, a threaded portion on said guyrod, a nut carriedby said threaded portion, and a pair of integral lugscarried by said frusto-conical member and projecting toward said guy rodand below said nut, said lugs being formed with predetermined frangibleportions adapted to be broken by impact upon the end of said guy rod,said lugs being spaced sufiiciently from said socket to permit insertionof said nut from the under side of said anchor.

5. In an earth anchor, the combination of a guy member with an anchormember carried by one end of said guy member, means carried by said guymember for'preventing movement of said anchor member off said end, andreleasable means carried by one of said members, adapted to be actuatedby impact on said guy member to release said guy member from said anchormember to bury said guy member in the earth.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of March,1928.

' ALBERT B. CHANCE.

